news – TrayTalk.org

Kentucky Students Celebrate Their Special Day on the Birthday Bus

When the Grant County School District in Kentucky purchased an aging bus several years ago for their summer meal program, they wanted to find creative ways to utilize it during the school year. Most of the seats of the bus had been replaced with bench tables and a sink, warmers and a cooler were added, opening up opportunities to serve students meals in the parked bus.

Using festive decorations and streamers, the food service team repurposed the Lunch Bus Express into the Birthday Bus for monthly visits to schools during the school year. As students enter the bus, they are given a birthday activity book and provided a reimbursable school lunch, including pizza, fruit, vegetables, milk and a whole grain cookie or special applesauce birthday treat.

Honoring School Nutrition Employees Who Make a Daily Difference

Often the first friendly faces students see at breakfast and lunch, school nutrition employees play a vital role in creating a welcoming, supportive environment. They’re often the first to notice a student’s mood, offering a smile or kind word when it’s needed most. On School Lunch Hero Day, the School Nutrition Association proudly recognizes its regional Employee of the Year winners for their exceptional commitment to nourishing students and supporting their school meal programs.

School Nutrition Managers Recognized for Excellence and Dedication

School nutrition managers play a vital role on every nutrition team, working directly in school kitchens and cafeterias to ensure students receive healthy, high-quality meals each day. The School Nutrition Association’s Manager of the Year award honors the exceptional dedication, creativity, and compassion demonstrated by these leaders in school communities across the nation.

School Nutrition Directors Recognized for Outstanding Contributions

School Lunch Hero Day, observed annually on the first Friday in May, honors the dedicated women and men who work tirelessly to support the health and well-being of students in schools nationwide. The School Nutrition Association (SNA) is celebrating the accomplishments of regional honorees as well, including Director of the Year winners, exceptional leaders who exhibit an extraordinary commitment to their school meal programs. Directors are responsible for maintaining the quality of meal programs through student interaction, menu planning and a commitment to serving nutritious, tasty and well-balanced school meals. Through effective oversight of all aspects of food service operations, including budgeting, staffing, training, marketing and community outreach, school nutrition directors ensure the overall success of school meal programs.

School Lunch Heroes Receive National Honors

Coming up this Friday, May 2, School Lunch Hero Day celebrates the hard work and dedication of school nutrition professionals across the country. As a kick-off to these festivities, the School Nutrition Association announced national and regional winners for Employee of the Year, Manager of the Year and Director of the Year in a virtual award ceremony today.

Meet the outstanding individuals earning national honors here and learn more through the week about each of the regional winners. Be inspired by their exemplify dedication to their profession and deep commitment to the students they serve.

Hands-On Lessons in Food Safety Practices

Eighth grade students from the Cherokee County School District (CCSD) in Georgia recently received an up close and personal food safety and sanitation lesson as they prepare to take their high school ServSafe Exam.

51 students took a cafeteria field trip to areas where food is stored, prepared and served, and enjoyed a behind-the-scenes look at food preparation and safety. The visit was focused from the perspective of a health inspector with steps to maintaining a perfect health inspection score emphasized. Students learned how to present themselves as kitchen professionals, including how to dress and put on a cap or hair net, personal cleanliness and proper handwashing procedures.

Students Learn Food Industry, from Order to Serve

Some of the best educational lessons are experienced when students get out of the classroom and witness the lesson live and in person. Pre-K, first and second graders in Texas enjoyed tours of working school kitchens and school foodservice warehouse to gain an understanding of the inner workings and processes of the industry.

First and second graders from the Cable and Westwood Terrace elementary schools in San Antonio toured the Northside Independent School District’s food warehouse, where they experienced an interactive lesson on food systems. Staff members explained how local foods are grown, processed and go through the supply chain before being served to students.

Breakfast is a Welcome Addition to School Routines

School breakfast offers quick and easy solutions for families to make sure students start their rushed mornings with a balanced meal. This year, an increasing number of students have access to free breakfast as more states are providing meals at no cost for all students. Schools in Pennsylvania and Connecticut are seeing great benefits from students and their teachers.

According to Kristina Roberge, Food Service Coordinator for Groton Public Schools (CT), parents say their children want to get to school with plenty of time to head to the cafeteria for breakfast.